Finding hidden wires

I am completing a long term plumbing and electrical project.  Being a good citizen, I called the utilities and had the identify where the existing lines were.  During the course of my digging I uncovered one live 60 amp line, a phone line, and a buried line of unknown amperage ….as well as 2 low voltage lines (maybe for an old intercom going to the barn).  By any means, none of those I found were identified by the powers that be.   My intended message is to be careful no matter who tells you where the lines are.

I'm pleased that no harm came of the adventure.

Yes, be cautious. Good advice.

First Call/ One Call only marks the lines that are the responsibility of their respective utilities. Anything on the consumer side of the meter is the landowner's responsibility.

Live electric wires are easy for a private locator service to find. Plastic water and sewer pipes are invisible unless a wire was buried with them. That allows an electric charge to be applied so the locator's equipment can detect the line.

Dare I ask how you found out the 60 amp line was live?

Sure.   I suspected the line existed. I wasn’t sure exactly where. And, I wasn’t sure if it would be hot.   Julie did identify power lines underground the first time around, but I wasn’t convinced if they found the Main ones or a secondary.  So, I was ultra careful when digging below 1 ft.  Fortunately, it was in the most logical location …. Laid next to my basement wall.  At that point I called Julie again ( for non Illinois people, that is the line location service). They told me it was hot.  What was odd is that I found only one line …..there should have been 2 wires….or more. Of course, eliminating breakers was pretty easy until the line went dead.

Mine is at least the second house on the property.  I suspected there had been other out buildings that had been torn down.  I have no idea where that line runs to.  I wonder if my electric bill will go down.

John F Dean wrote:  At that point I called Julie again ( for non Illinois people, that is the line location service). They told me it was hot.  .

And here I thought Julie was your wife!

And was surprised but accepting that her pronoun was "they."

Hi Anne,

Yeah, I was responding to Eric, who is from Illinois, then it hit me that others would be reading my comment. Actually, Julie is pretty decent and locate commercial as well as domestic lines, plumbing, etc.  Normally, they are dead accurate. That is why I was surprised at them missing a power line.  The problem, I am sure, it that it was hugged up against the foundation of my house. The mystery is where does it go,
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I suspect I just figured it out.   Part of my house is a converted garage. I bet the line runs from my house to the converted garage where it is capped off.  If so, the logic would be that it was easier to run it along the outside rather than endure the headaches of trying to run it through the house.  At one time, this was home base for a many hundred acre farm.   There may have been welding equipment in the garage.  If so, I have 2 additional lines I have not found yet.  They are probably buried deeper.

If this theory is correct, there may be yet another set of power lines buried somewhere.

Thanks for the update.   It sounds like a great service!  I'll have to see what's available in NY.  Best of luck finding other wires!  

I have a remote connection or two.  I was born in IL (Chicago Heights) and my mother was from Cairo.  It was a thriving town back then (I'm 69).  Her parents ran a little corner grocery store, fed the neighborhood on "credit" during the Depression (repaid partially in bits at a time).  Fast forward to now; my daughter married a man born in Glen Ellyn.